Tom Thibodeau thrilled to have wiser, more mature Karl-Anthony Towns on Knicks
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns reacts after dunking against the Indiana Pacers in the first half of an NBA game at Madison Square Garden on Friday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
GREENBURGH — About four years ago, Karl-Anthony Towns was looking for a way to put less stress on his body over the course of the season.
Towns thought he might be using too much energy at the free-throw line. Perhaps there was some way to modify his routine and still get the maximum results. So he began studying other players and settled on the way Kobe Bryant approached his free throws. Bryant barely bent his knees when he put up a shot.
“I had to play a lot of 2K to get that free-throw style down,” Towns said Sunday after practice, referring to the NBA video game. “You think I’m joking, but that’s where I got it. It’s to minimize the impact on my body.”
The fact that Towns is constantly looking for a way to get better is a big reason coach Tom Thibodeau thought he would fit in well on the Knicks.
Thibodeau and Towns weren’t always on the same page when Thibodeau coached him early in his career with the Timberwolves. Now the player who played a minor role in pushing Thibodeau out of Minnesota is poised to play a major role in pushing Thibodeau and his Knicks to new heights.
The 7-foot Towns added a much-needed dimension to the Knicks’ offense in their home opener, finishing with 21 points, 15 rebounds, two blocks and a steal and shooting 9-for-10 from the free-throw line. The night included a first-quarter dunk that sent Knicks fans into a frenzy.
“I thought he had a good mix,” Thibodeau said Sunday. “He went into the post. He offensive rebounded. He got to the free-throw line. That’s really his skill set. He can shoot the three, but he can drive the ball, he can play [with his] back to the basket. He’s a great rebounder. So we are seeing that.”
What fans also are seeing is a player who at age 28 has arrived at the point in his career at which he is willing to sacrifice to get to the highest level.
“You really don’t know a player until you coach him, and sometimes timing is important too,” said Thibodeau, who coached Towns when he was still on his rookie contract.
“You can have a player young in their career and they tend to want to get themselves established first. As they mature and get older, they realize it’s very difficult to do it individually. You have to do it collectively. That’s where most players go. They tend to trend that way.
“You look at every good team and you realize there’s sacrifices that have to be made. There’s a focus that has to be had. There’s discipline, there’s unselfishness. I think Karl has certainly shown that over the years.”
The furthest Thibodeau has ever gone in the playoffs as a head coach was in the 2010-11 season with Derrick Rose and the Bulls. Chicago lost to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals that season.
Towns’ Timberwolves lost to Dallas in the Western Conference finals last season.
Notes & quotes: Josh Hart is questionable for Monday’s game with a right ankle impingement. Deuce McBride is probable with a left knee hyperextension.
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
